Not FFwD and This Isn't Socca Vieux

For me life gets in the way of French Friday from time to time. Many of the French Friday cooks are so organized that they rarely miss a post. If they have company coming or they're taking a trip it's no problem for them. They get the cooking done, the blog written and post it first thing on Friday! I. Am. Not. That. Person. I have decided to forgive myself and move on.

This week I'm in Memphis with my sweet mother-in-law. She lives with her daughter who is on vacation so I'm staying with her for part of the week. she is a great and kind lady but does NOT understand my love and devotion for cooking but she does love eating the results! I don't have garbanzo flour and I don't want to run around looking for it.

For dinner tonight we had a delicious lemon pepper pasta mixed with leftover chicken and a few things my dear friend gave me.....she even gave me the lemon pepper pasta! Life is good!

I would include the usual link to the French Friday with Dorie web site but I don't know how to do that on my iPad. Sorry!

FFwD - Back of the Card Cheese Bread

Summer has come to the plains!  We went from monsoons to heat.  Has Oklahoma become tropical?

Back of the Card Cheese Bread

This recipe is very easy and very adaptable to whatever ingredients you have on hand.  Four eggs make this bread more like a cake!

I didn't have tapenade so I used pesto.  I had a drawer full of end pieces of cheese of unknown varieties.  There was a piece of parmesan and a little cheddar, though.  That much I know.  I had a few olives and a bit of roasted red pepper.  It was a mishmash of stuff that came together perfectly.

I took it to a going away party for a friend who has retried and is going to try out different places to see where she wants to live.  She's going to Mississippi first.  What an adventure!

And, yes, this bread is wonderful with a glass of white wine!  I like Honig Sauvignon Blanc.

Check out all the French Friday cooks!

FFwD - Strawberry Tartine and Anne LeBlanc's Pistachio Avocado

Fresh Fruit Tartine

You know this is good as soon as you hear the ingredients.  Strawberries, bread, goat cheese and balsamic vinegar.  Fruits and berries are so fresh and delicious right now.  We're eating tons of everything we can get our hands on and its surprising how good everything is.  That's why I couldn't stop at strawberries but had to try this with peaches and blackberries too.  They are all delicious!

A friend gave me a bottle of chocolate balsamic vinegar and it was perfect for this fruit tartine.  I can't wait to make it for her!

Anne LeBlanc's Pistachio Avocado

Dorie says this is more a list of ingredients than a recipe and she's right but who knew avocado and pistachio was such a wonderful pairing?  I've been looking for pistachio oil for weeks and couldn't find it but I read on the FF board that many people were making it. That was my plan but since I didn't get my act together (something that occurs with alarming regularity!) and get it done I was left winging it!  I  still plan to make the pistachio oil one of these days!

I have a bottle of chili infused olive oil that I drizzled on the chopped avocados and sprinkled toasted pistachios on top.  Add salt and voila, delicious!  Gary wrapped it in a flour tortilla and loved it.  We'll do this one again!

Thank you to everyone for your kind thoughts and concern for we Okies through the crazy weather of the past couple of weeks.  The El Reno tornado came much closer to us than the Moore tornado had and we experienced some flooding.  We've come out okay and had decided to take up the carpet in the den anyhow!  The flood just got us moving!  I did not know it could rain so hard.  Hopefully, bad weather is behind us for this season.  Its been exhausting!

You can check out all the French Fridays with Dorie results!

FFwD - Asparagus Soup or From FFwD Loser to Sated in Under an Hour!

Where do I even begin?  You can't help but have heard about the tornadoes in Oklahoma this week.  The worst of it was about ten miles from us and not headed our way but it is such an odd sensation to know your city is being shredded and no one can do anything to help or prevent it.  Then when we heard the tornado had hit an elementary school and was headed for a mid high the nausea from the fear of knowing there would be fatalities in what was at least an EF4 tornado. I think when we see the devastation on television we are all amazed that there weren't more deaths.  Of course, when it is your loved one the statistics and miracles have no meaning.

I've been absent for a few weeks.  First there was a trip to Memphis for our niece's high school graduation.  She was the last graduate of her generation in our family. The baby. Our next high school graduation will be our grandson!  It was a proud moment with all the cousins gathered for the occasion.

My sweet mother-in-law and niece.

Then there was Mother's Day with my mother-in-law, a great lady who has taught me, by example, so much about kindness.  The men cooked a delicious brunch while the ladies sat around my sister's in law pool!

Mr. Adorable admiring the rhino at the zoo.

Next we had our two year old grandson for a week!  What are we teaching him through our example?  One thing we noticed he learned is that all he has to say is "Help please Gigis." and Gigi will help him get whatever it is he wants!

Asparagus soup with Bacon Bruschetta

Now for the food.  This is a simple soup or would have been if I hadn't burned the leeks, onions, garlic and scallion mixture!  I was so disgusted with myself I was tempted to give up and let my husband take me to dinner.  Instead I salvaged what I could from the mess and set the pot to soak.  Since I've rambled enough for one post I won't go into the ridiculously expensive frozen asparagus I used but just say frozen works fine!  I don't know if it was because I didn't have the suggested amount of aromatics but the soup was bland so I added a spoon of chicken bouillon, a bit of dried chili pepper flakes and a big glug (yes I said glug) of cream.  Delicious!

I served bruschetta topped with bacon, mozzarella, and tomato (an open faced sandwich) and my husband loved it all!

Pioneer Woman's Bread Pudding

P-Dub, also known as The Pioneer Woman, came to my aid with her Bread Pudding recipe 'cause we Okies are sticking together this week!  I used Whole Foods Cranberry Walnut bread and instead of Jack Daniels in the whiskey sauce I used Canadian Mist.  Its good, I mean REALLY good!

I haven't even touched on hiking or fasting, both of which are entire posts in themselves. Thank you for hanging in there with me and if you skipped to the end that's okay too.  I needed to say all this more than you needed to read it!

All of the amazing French Friday cooks can be found at the link.

FFwD - Creamy Mushrooms and Eggs

Creamy Mushrooms and Eggs

"This is a winner for breakfast, lunch or dinner!"  That's a quote from my husband and he said I could use it!

Breakfast for dinner is one of our favorite meals so when I didn't get this week's French Friday recipe made as planned for weekend brunch we were happy to have it for dinner.  I added asparagus and it was a delicious dinner.

While I was cooking we had Missy Cocktails, also known as a Raspberry Lemon Drop, but our daughter-in-law introduced us to the drink and we just call it The Missy Cocktail.  Anyhow, they are a tad strong and that could have influenced our love of the Mushroom Eggs....I don't think so but I want to let you know its possible.

Delicious Raspberry Lemon Drop

Tomorrow my friend, Franny, and I are going on our first hike.  We've been talking about doing this for a while and are finally getting ourselves together to do it.  Its only 7 miles and not very strenuous but we're hoping to build on this easy one at a nearby state park.

I hope everyone is having a nice, if somewhat unpredictable, spring.  Results for all the French Friday with Dorie cooks can be found at the link!

FFwD - 'Chickened' Out on Cod and Spinach Roulades, Pun Intended

I need to state up front that I am a food coward.  I often have someone else taste a new food and tell me if its good.  If they approve I might nibble the edge.  I hesitate to taste new food or anything I'm not familiar with.  So when the recipe starts with put the fish in the food processor with egg whites and cream you can understand my squeamishness!  So to be fair to the recipe I asked Gary what he thought about it.  I'll just say he wasn't enthusiastic and leave it at that.

'Chickened Out' Roulades

But I wanted to play.  So I decided to try boneless chicken thighs.  I made the filling as directed in the recipe, onions, garlic and baby spinach.  It made a delicious filling or just a nice way to prepare spinach.  I did not puree the chicken but rolled up the thighs around the filling and pan fried them.  It turned out delicious but I should have made the sauce.  For some reason the sauce didn't appeal to me and the rolls seemed a bit undressed with no sauce.  I served them on a bed of roasted sweet potatoes, though, and with several glasses of chardonnay they tasted wonderful!

It was good and we enjoyed them as did our friends.  I have mixed feelings about my departure because the point of this project is to try new things and learn new skills.  On the other hand this is not the sort of dish we would enjoy.  I DO feel that my participation in the group is what gave me the courage to try something on my own.

I hope everyone had a good week.  So much tragedy in the U.S. this week.  I wish peace for everyone everywhere.

This is a French Friday with Dorie post.

FFwD - Financiers

Delicious Financiers!

Yummy.  Delicious.  Perfect little spring time treat.  Financiers are very easy to make with just melted butter, sugar, flour, egg whites and almond flour.  I used my mini processor to make almond flour and it really didn't grind it as fine as I would like.  Still it made excellent cakes but next time I will either use the big processor or buy almond flour.  This weekend I plan to make the chocolate ones!

This might seem like an odd combo of topics in a single post but after watching two PBS shows about Michael Mosley's search for better heath and longevity I'm committed to following his Fast Diet for 6 months.  I have a doctor's appointment Tuesday so I'll have my blood checked and then I will have it checked again in six months so I will know if this way of eating is benefiting my chemistry.  Yesterday was my first fast and it wasn't as difficult as I expected.  I broke my fast with financiers!  This plan calls for two days a week of calorie restriction, around 500 calories!

I love spring!  Tuesday in OKC was in the high 70s and Wednesday we had an ice storm.  My neighbors have draped their flowers and shrubs with sheets trying to save flowers and new growth.  That's spring for you!  New beginnings my friends!

This is a French Fridays with Dorie post.

FFwD - Pierre Hermé's Olive Sablés

Olive Sables

I was happy with this one.  I didn't have any trouble finding potato starch.  My dough came together quickly and easily and after chilling it was easy to slice.  It produced a tender and flavorful cookie.  I used oil cured olives and they have the perfect degree of saltiness to balance the sweetness of the cookie.  My husband and guests loved them!  I made the whole recipe, cooked one roll and have the other two sliced and frozen, ready to bake at a moments notice.  Cocktail party in an instant!  They were delicious with brie!

Ispahan Loaf Cake Sort Of

Since my epic fail with the ispahan loaf cake I've been having recurring nightmares of being a failed baker.  One day while wasting time surfing the internet I found a super simple cake recipe.  Who doesn't want a super simple cake recipe?  So I decided to try it subbing the rose flavoring for the vanilla.  This yogurt cake from The Cooking Frog is as easy and good as she says it is!  That said, I'm throwing out my rose extract.  We don't like it.  The cake is good though and its my new 'go to' easy and quick dessert!

Open Faced Bacon Tomato Mozzarella Sandwich
What's not to love?

One more quick thing then I'll let you go.  This project we are working on together is making me a better cook.  That hit home for me when I was going through leftovers from Easter Brunch.  I had tomatoes, mozzarella, and bacon and a few slices of bread.  I asked myself how to best use them.  "Damned if I know, Kimosabe.  All I know is when you're making those kind of calls, you're up in the high country."  Joe vs. The Volcano.  As we were happily munching away on our open faced oven broiled bacon sandwiches I realized how Dorie has made me a more confident and creative cook.  Thank you Dorie Greenspan, fellow French Friday cooks, and the originators and administrators of French Fridays with Dorie.

Don't forget to check out everyone's adventures at French Fridays with Dorie.

FFwD - Lemon Steamed Spinach

I'm just barely making this post on Friday but I AM making it!  I have made this several times but never took a picture so I had to get to the grocery store so I could make it again and PHOTOGRAPH it!  I tell you the blogging part is so much HARDER than the cooking part!

Lemon Steamed Spinach

This is so good.  So simple.  So delicious.

Make it.  You'll love it.  Its good for you.
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This post participates in French Fridays with Dorie.

FFwD - Ispahan Loaf Cake

Hello Blog World! I've been gone for a couple of weeks but I'm back...back to the blogosphere that is.

We've been to Memphis and Florida and now we're in Dallas. Babies, babies everywhere but that's a different post!

Epic Fail should be the title of this post. I found rose syrup and rose extract easily at an Eastern Food market, cheap too. What got me were the raspberries! $4.99 for 6 ounces! That was going to be $10.00 for berries! I could buy the same amount of raspberries frozen for $2.50!

I hear you judging me already! But I was hopeful that if I thawed them first and dried them on paper towels I could remove enough of the water to make it work.....I could not.

I AM going to make this again because the bits around the sides were really good:). I just haven't been home long enough to get it done and I forgot to bring the flavoring a with me.

And the sad part? I was supposed to bring this to a Sunday brunch!

Okay! Guess I accidentally deleted my photo. It showed a very brown loaf cake broken into four pieces with a liquid center oozing out!

How about a picture of my grandson instead. Happy French Friday on Sunday!